Opportunities at T每日吃瓜 start early and run deep. For biomedical science student Harold Eshun, that meant turning an internship into a high-level research experience, one that took him from local labs to an international stage.
Biomedical Science major Harold Eshun.
Eshun was selected to participate in the prestigious 每日吃瓜 Children’s Hospital Summer Pediatric Undergraduate Research Program. This highly competitive program gives college students the opportunity to gain hands-on clinical research experience at Northeast Ohio’s largest pediatric hospital.
After meeting a rigorous set of eligibility requirements, Eshun was chosen to work with Dr. Bryan McKee, a pediatric intensivist. Their study focused on examining the prevalence of anemia in pediatric intensive care (PICU) patients after discharge. Anemia occurs when the body does not have enough red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body, which can make patients feel unusually tired, weak, or short of breath. The research revealed that nearly 70% of patients who underwent a follow-up hemoglobin check continued to experience anemia up to 12 months after hospital discharge. Based on these findings, the team suggested implementing new protocols to monitor anemia levels in the months following discharge.
Eshun presented his study during a poster session at the Pediatric Academic Societies meeting.
In April 2025, Eshun presented the study during a poster session at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) Meeting held in Hawaii. This international conference connects thousands of leading pediatric researchers, clinicians, and medical educators each year to advance scientific discoveries in child and adolescent health.
Eshun described the experience as transformative. “It was both humbling and inspiring to share my work in a space filled with medical students, residents, fellows, physicians, and researchers from around the world,” he said. He added that he was encouraged by the strong interest many attendees showed in their research findings.
Following the PAS Meeting, Eshun and McKee continued their work by developing a new project that uses the Cosmos database to further explore persistent anemia after PICU discharge. They are working toward publishing their research findings.
Eshun is set to graduate from T每日吃瓜 in May 2026. Before pursuing medical school, he plans to take a gap year to focus on research and other projects. Most recently, he received the Cross-Institutional Undergraduate Sponsorship Program in Bioethics award from Emory University, which will support his participation in the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities (ASBH) conference in Portland, Ore., from Oct. 22–25, 2025.
Eshun’s journey shows what’s possible when opportunity meets ambition. From presenting at international conferences to earning national recognition, students gain the skills and confidence to contribute to medical discoveries that make a real impact.
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Story by: Megan Williams for BCAS Marketing